


operational solutions

by Zekkass



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Fucking, Gestalt (Transformers), Kissing, M/M, Multi, Relationship Negotiation, Spark Sexual Interfacing (Transformers), Transformers Plug and Play Sexual Interfacing, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:15:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27948164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zekkass/pseuds/Zekkass
Summary: Bruticus can't form up without Swindle, but he's often off out of reach working for his business. Onslaught has a solution - and it involves Lockdown.
Relationships: Brawl/Swindle, Lockdown/Swindle, Swindle/Vortex
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	operational solutions

"You took too long. Again."

Swindle looks from mask to mask and struggles not to show how frustrated he is. They're gestalt, sure, but he has a business to run, profits to make, funds to collect so they can afford their weapons. They know him - don't they know that he has to leave them? It's the only way he can stay.

"That's why I brought you all gifts," he says instead, ready to reach into his dimensional pockets and turn out the cost of a free operation. "A hyper-powered shrapnel grenade for Onslaught, a - "

A hand lands on his shoulder, and he gulps.

"We needed Bruticus," Brawl says, his vocalizer emitting a low rumble of discontent. "And you weren't there."

Yes, of course.

"We-ll," he says. Possibilities flash through his mind, maybe this'll be enough to convince them to excise him from the gestalt, free him from this obligation, this group that wants his time for not enough money - 

Onslaught's visor glows a little brighter. He's in trouble.

Brawl picks him up, hefting him effortlessly with one arm as those big blocky fingers play between his legs. Swindle can't help but shimmy in his grip as he opens up, valve already dripping - he can't help it, this is one of the perks, one of the better reasons to stay away from them, it's profit but not in coin.

"You know this won't be enough this time," Vortex says from the side. "We needed Bruticus, and got injured on the way out."

It's almost enough to diffuse any charge, but Brawl just puts him on his spike, dropping him the rest of the distance and guiding his landing, shoving him all the way onto his far-too-wide spike. Swindle speaks in static-laced yelps as he resizes himself, adjusting to fit Brawl inside him so his vibration mods can get to work.

"Yeah," Brawl says, vocalizer pitched lower. "Not enough."

"What," Swindle tries to ask, hips jerking as Brawl's spike rocks in him, then begins to thrust. "What do you want me to - ah - "

"Gag him," Onslaught orders, and Vortex is there to loop a band around his throat as Brawl works fingers into his mouth, and he can't speak at all, not with his vocalizer - jammed now - or mechanically, with his intakes blocked. He struggles, grabbing at Brawl's arm, but he doesn't have the leverage. He wants to panic, but Brawl doesn't stop thrusting in him and Vortex's working those claws over his chest-plates in that awful tantalizing way he has. They're careful not to block his view of Onslaught.

One's missing, he realizes, even in his desperation. Blast Off's usually got something to say, but he's not _here._

"Here we go," Vortex whispers to him. "Onslaught's proud of this one."

Brawl just growls wordlessly at Vortex, and he laughs as he works his chest-plate open, teasing cables and around plating into the sensitive areas. What are they going to do to him - ?

"Bruticus won't replace you. We won't replace you," Onslaught says, and it's something about his leader that means he hears every word even through the haze of pleasure. Hears _and_ understands. "The limitations are our operations: we need to stay mobile and combat-ready. The strategic level isn't desperate enough to warrant removing you from logistics or connection-building. You need to stay mobile to keep trade open. We can't operate in tandem: trade doesn't take place directly on the battlefield."

They all pause as footsteps sound, then Brawl begins to move again and Vortex licks at his spark-casing. Swindle can't see anything but Onslaught now, even though he knows it's probably Blast Off, but why was he late?

There's a low whistle, and he's almost distracted enough to wonder who it is.

"The solution is to set up a reliable way to call you in when a situation becomes critical. You don't respond to conventional calls. Therefore we've decided to enlist the services of a bounty hunter to guard and retrieve you when we need you."

Brawl and Vortex move together, turning Swindle from Onslaught to Blast Off and - Lockdown?

Lockdown's giving him one of his lookovers, like he's judging the merchandise, and he's smirking - but there's more than that, there's a glint of something in his optics - 

Swindle can't talk, he can't do anything but overload hard enough to white him out, and he doesn't know if it's because they misjudged the sensations or if it's because his favorite customer saw him like this.

//

" - Aw frag, really?"

"Think he liked it," Brawl says, lifting Swindle off of his spike and setting him on the couch to the side, tipping him so he'd curl into the cushions.

"I wasn't done," Vortex says.

"You're never done," Blast Off says.

"Enough," Onslaught cuts through them all. He looks at Lockdown without getting up from his chair. "Lockdown. You know the rest of our terms."

"Yeah," Lockdown says. "You're trusting me with Bruticus. Means you have to trust me, and you don't rely entirely on Swindle's judgment. So what do you want? More fragging?"

"Exactly."

"Huh. Seems too easy."

Onslaught shakes his head once. If it were just play with their interfacing arrays it would be. "Cables. We have programs to install."

If Lockdown objects, he doesn't show it. He looks at Vortex, then back at Onslaught. "Tracking, communications, a contract - anything else?"

"Not quite," Blast Off says. "For this you're getting component programming in miniature."

"We're trusting you with Bruticus," Onslaught repeats Lockdown's words. The component programming will make him effectively gestalt - except that he won't transform, and he won't have the tighter bonds spark-merges enforce - but he'll be part of them. One of the Combaticons.

It's the only programming that would make sense for the time scale of this arrangement, the difficulties Onslaught forsees in the war's future, and for how devoted Swindle is to the hunter.

Lockdown, at least, seems to understand how important this is. His stance has shifted, almost to a combat-ready one - not that he'll attack. He's not stupid. Part of why Onslaught likes him.

It takes a klik, then another, and Lockdown retracts paneling in his chest, unreeling cables. Onslaught nods, finally rising to offer his from his wrist. They join up as Blast Off and Vortex move closer, flanking Onslaught protectively.

Interfacing protocols light up, different ones this time - if the arrays are meant for procreation, recreation, and specialized information exchange, the cables are purely for communication - and fencing.

Lockdown's defenses are patchwork, layered and hiding more than they show. The obvious attack programs could be for decoration, or posturing, but it doesn't matter. Onslaught's not trying to break in. He opens his own regimented walls to offer the component coding, and Lockdown accepts it, wreathing it in attack programs as he brings it behind his own walls.

That's a clue, one Onslaught considers as the program is assimilated. If it's not purely posturing, then is it related to how the hunter's frame is a conglomeration of stolen pieces? Could be. If Lockdown's having trouble keeping it all integrated, that would show here more than anywhere else in his frame.

Something to keep in mind for next time Lockdown's injured and at their mercy.

Lockdown uncouples their cables, and they're wound in. Onslaught nods as he feels the signals from their new component, the data-streams beginning to flow as systemic information is shared and understood. It's not invasive to the level the merges permit, but now he'll know if Lockdown's injured, and where he is, and if he can trust him.

//

Time from boot-up to realization: "How - you - why - Onslaught! I didn't know you trusted Lockdown!"

"I didn't," Onslaught says, and Swindle stares at him, then at Lockdown. He's still spinning, valve aching from the sudden overload, and Lockdown's - Lockdown's part of the gestalt. Lockdown's going to travel with him. Lockdown's - 

Going to impact his profits, but a positive or a negative? He can't send him off on hunts like this, can he? Can he merge their incomes?

Lockdown's hook catches the side of his helm and everything stops as Lockdown kisses him.

"Looking forward to working with you," Lockdown says, and that tone promises dirty, wonderful things that heat up Swindle's arrays. "Partner."


End file.
